Dear, Jennifer and Roman VEHICLE THAT WAS TOWED IN WITH A PROBLEM 2013 RANGE ROVER HSE 5.0L MILEAGE 92,985 Dear Jennifer and Roman, This is Carson Brian, Service and Parts Director. I'm sorry to hear that you had this experience at our store. I personally oversaw your vehicle inspection. We originally had authorization for the amount of $308.40 to perform our initial inspection and testing of the check engine light, as well as the issue of the vehicle starting and then shutting off. Yes, we did schedule your vehicle for inspection the day it was towed in. However, we don’t have control when progress in the shop comes to a halt due to other vehicles not being completed as planned, which can occur due to unforeseen circumstances. That is why your vehicle did not make it to the assigned technician as planned, which unfortunately delayed the service process. By Friday morning, the technician began his inspection and testing of the vehicle. He discovered that the engine was starting and shutting off intermittently. He also noted that the passenger side of the engine was louder than the driver’s side. Upon further investigation, he found that 6 out of 8 cylinders were misfiring. That is when you received a call from Richard requesting additional time and authorization to perform a compression test ($539.70) and a leak-down test ($257.00). We were then waiting for authorization from Jennifer and Roman. After receiving it approximately two hours later, the technician had already moved on to another vehicle. During the wait for authorization, our technicians cannot remain idle — they must proceed to the next scheduled appointment. After reviewing the situation, I, Carson, advised the technician to hold off on the compression and leak-down tests. I believe we might be able to pinpoint the cause without performing these tests, potentially saving you money that didn’t need to be spent. I had your best interests in mind. During this time, I was informed that the guests were calling frequently for updates. However, we had no new results to provide at that moment. I personally don’t like pushy sales tactics, and I assure you that our team at TL Motors operates with integrity and professionalism. Likewise, I expect the same respect from our guests toward our staff. I do not appreciate false accusations or pressure being placed on my team. In the end, I saved you $796.70 by avoiding those tests. Instead, we ran further diagnostics that confirmed the engine compression is good, but the engine timing is off, resulting in hard starting, long cranking, 6 of 8 cylinders misfiring, and a noisy valvetrain. On Saturday, I, Carson Brian, spoke with both you and your husband Roman and presented the results and the estimate for repairs needed to restore the vehicle to normal operating condition. At that time, Roman mentioned he was in a hurry to get the vehicle repaired, as your family was down to one vehicle. I offered a loaner vehicle, free of charge, as a courtesy once we received repair authorization. Roman was informed that I would stay after hours to complete and review the estimate with him if needed. As promised, I delivered and reviewed the estimate, but Roman was very pushy and questioned why we hadn’t performed the compression and leak-down tests. I explained again that the outcome would have been the same: the engine timing is off, and the timing chain has an issue. The estimate I provided included all the necessary parts to repair the engine, factoring in age, mileage, and wear. He expressed concern over the cost, which was $12,509.52 + tax, and claimed he could get a new engine for $18,000. He also asked if we could reduce costs by omitting some components. I informed him that cutting corners is not acceptable, and if that’s the direction he wished to take, it would be best to find another shop willing to do the work his way. I reiterated that you don’t need to replace the engine, but if you choose to go on that route, I could provide a quote. However, a proper replacement engine would likely cost close to or more than $26,000, including labor and all necessary parts to properly dress and install the engine. So, I don’t understand why, if $12,509.52 + tax is too high, a more expensive option like full engine replacement would be considered. If you are open to it, we would like the opportunity to speak with you directly to better understand the situation and see of there is anything we can do to help. To clarify: There were no testing fees totaling $1,100.00, and The $18,000 engine quote was brought up by Roman, not us. Ultimately, Roman asked us to stop any further work and declined the repairs. He said he would pick up the vehicle Monday morning. Proverbs 12:22: "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who speak the truth are His delight."
- TL Motors Inc.